Persistence
by editor frog
Summary: What exactly happened with the Colorado AG after the standoff at the ranch? Note: Spoilers for "Minimal Loss."


**So like everyone else, I have my own theories on how the media got 'tipped off' that there were agents inside during the ep "Minimal Loss." Here's my take on it.**

**Disclaimer: Criminal Minds is not mine.**

* * *

"_I'm the guy who's gonna recommend to the Attorney General of the United States whether to have you charged with obstruction with a federal investigation or negligent homicide..."_

The Colorado Attorney General, Wells, sat in his office, clearly remembering the bite with which these words were delivered. The agent—Hotchner, he'd heard his name was—had actually had him _escorted_ off the premises. Wells had never been treated so humiliatingly before, not throughout his professional career. He was used to being in control of the situation, whatever situation happened to present itself.

On a large flat-screen in front of a giant mahogany desk, images of the standoff at the Septarian Ranch continued flash, over and over. Wells thought a while, mulling over the situation. He'd known that the children on the ranch were going to be interviewed—the child services worker, Nancy Lunde, had had the paperwork processed nearly a week before. _Why didn't she mention she was bringing in the FBI? _ he wondered. _And if it was just a routine interview about an allegation, why call them?_

"Jess!" he called out, his booming voice carrying through the thick door to an outer office. Seconds later, a plump mid-thirtyish woman stood in the doorway, her eyes asking for the directions she would most certainly be asked to carry out.

"I need to know everything you can find on this guy Hotchner," Wells said. "He's FBI, lead agent down there at that standoff situation. Also I need to know why Nancy Lunde decided to call in the FBI."

The assistant nodded her head curtly, and then vanished.

--

The report was staggering. Wells had to literally sit down as he read it.

He'd thought this Hotchner was just a typical FBI agent—overeager, determined, anxious to chase out the state to avoid 'poaching' on his investigation. He was wrong. Aside from his particulars, Wells noticed something else about the man.

_Federal prosecutor, October 1988-March 1998. _The list of convictions was staggering.

_Special Agent, FBI_

_SWAT division: March 1998-May 2000_

_Behavioral Analysis Unit, May 2000-present_

_Supervisory Special Agent, BAU: January 2004_

_Unit Chief, BAU: April 2004_

The vitae told Wells a lot. What it _didn't _tell him was why this man's unit had been contacted in the first place.

A second file lay open on top of the desk. It contained Nancy Lunde's written report about the 911 call that led to the interview on the ranch in the first place.

_Caller identified herself as Jessica Evanson, 15_

_When asked the nature of the call, Evanson said that a member of the sect was having inappropriate relations with younger girls in the sect. When pressed, Evanson hung up. _

_Two questions: legitimacy of call, and if positive, how many children at risk?_

Standard, straightforward application. Wells knew that if it had gotten out that he was allowing a fringe religious sect to start doing what those folks over in Texas had been doing, he could kiss his political career good-bye.

A third file had been brought up, detailing the conversations with an SSA Jareau, who was a liaison for the FBI. That too had been pretty straightforward—were there pending investigations, had there been charges filed, background on the sect, the usual stuff.

_So what if I decided to go in there first? _Wells thought. _We knew there were guns in there—way too many for a so-called 'religious group' and most of them illegal in the first place. _

Wells thought back to Agent Hotchner's threat—that the Attorney General would be notified about Wells's role in the standoff now taking place.

_Their office withholds the fact that a federal agent is going in undercover, and __**I'm **__to blame for this?!_ he thought angrily. _Okay. Two can definitely play at that game…_

A determined smile flashed over Wells's face as he dialed a number.

--

As soon as the news report finished, Hotch stared at the talking screen, hearing nothing that was being said.

_That son of a bitch,_ he thought. _And out of petulance, he tries to endanger one of my agents?!_

Hotch's mind floated briefly to his colleagues trapped inside the compound. He remembered Reid's first day on the job, all awkward and brilliant but trying hard to help and fit in as best he could. He remembered meeting Emily that day in his office, after coming back from a particularly trying case involving dueling serial killers. He thought of Reid, struggling to overcome his PTSD and the addiction problems that both men knew existed but neither spoke about. He thought of Emily, trying hard to fit into a tight-knit group that didn't take well to outsiders. Both had overcome these obstacles, and flourished. The thought of them becoming sitting ducks to a charming psychopath…

_I'll be damned if he gets away with this,_ Hotch thought.

Just then a noise sang through Hotch's ears—the sounds of crashing glass and pained cries. The sounds of a smooth voice quoting Scripture to justify his actions. Emily's broken voice telling her colleagues that 'she could take it.'

Though the beating finally stopped, Hotch's anger was just beginning to simmer. _Forget simple negligent homicide, _he thought. _I want his ass on endangering a federal agent as well…_

--

Two months after the standoff, a letter was tossed on Hotch's desk.

"What's that?" JJ asked, noticing the insignia in the left-hand corner.

Hotch scanned the letter. "Notice from the Attorney General's office," he replied simply.

"If I may, sir--about what?"

"About Wells."

A look of realization flashed over his liason's face. "Oh," she said. "Good." With that, she quickly left.

Hotch looked down at the letter.

_Agent Hotchner:_

_It has come to our attention that the charges brought up against Colorado Attorney General Wells are sound, and thus request your presence at trial. _

The particulars for when and where followed.

Looking out at the bullpen, Hotch noticed Emily fingering a similar looking letter. A look of confusion hung over her face, one which vanished as soon as she opened the letter. Insitinctively, she looked up at Hotch's office window, but the lead agent had already settled back in his seat, perusing another file.

_And now we'll see who wins this contest,_ Hotch thought. For him, the trial date couldn't come fast enough.


End file.
